The identity of a Lone Cultivator meant they were Gu Masters who belonged to no one, free from the constraints and ties of a family, acting as they pleased. Zuo Tiankong understood this well; once he realized Liu Chen was likely a lone expert, he sensed a monumental opportunity. If a Rank 3 master like Liu Chen could be won over to the Zuo Clan and made a foreign elder, their strength would surge, allowing them to finally overwhelm the Che Clan and capture the main peak of San Cha Mountain.
Thinking of this, the smile on the patriarch's face grew brighter. However, before taking further action, Zuo Tiankong decided to probe Liu Chen's background to ensure he wasn't a deceptive trickster. Dealing with high-level lone cultivators required extreme caution.
Just as Zuo Tiankong was secretly calculating his next move, Liu Chen rejected his invitation to stay at the fortress without a second's hesitation. He stated plainly that he held no interest in the petty feud between the Zuo and Che clans. He merely wished to tour the three peaks.
During this conversation, Liu Chen took advantage of the situation. Using his quick hand, he accepted the Golden Treasure Box floating above Zuo Tiankong's head.
Faced with Liu Chen's resolute attitude, Zuo Tiankong felt a twinge of disappointment, but he knew he couldn't force a Rank 3 expert to stay. "Since Little Friend is so insistent, I shall follow your wishes," he said, turning to the young guard. "Rechan, you will accompany this noble guest. Do not lose the face of our Zuo Clan."
"Yes, Patriarch! I will definitely live up to the clan's expectations!" Zuo Rechan knelt and kowtowed respectfully.
Liu Chen smiled slightly. "I'm about to set off for the tour. I might as well start now." His tone was relaxed and casual, as if he were simply taking a stroll in a park.
Upon hearing this, Zuo Tiankong felt a flicker of anxiety. "Little friend, do be cautious of those reckless fools from the Che Clan. If they happen to offend you, this old man will certainly seek justice on your behalf." His words were a reminder, but they clearly implied Liu Chen should take the Zuo family's side while belittling their rivals.
Zuo Rechan led the way up the winding mountain path. As they walked, the youth continued to answer Liu Chen's questions about the terrain. Finally, they reached the summit. Standing at the peak, Liu Chen looked into the distance; the surrounding mountains were shrouded in mist and clouds, a breathtaking sight.
However, it was not the scenery that held his attention.
The moment his gaze swept past the mist and clouds, his breath hitched almost imperceptibly. There, hovering above a crag of weathered rock at the very heart of the summit, were two treasure boxes.
The first pulsed with a deep, rich purple light , the same purple glow he had come to associate with the legacies of powerful Rank 5 experts. It floated calmly in the open air, its presence solid and reachable.
The second was something else entirely.
It radiated a cascade of shifting, iridescent colour , the full spectrum of the rainbow cycling endlessly across its surface, just like the Six Color Treasure Box he had once seen floating above Shang Clan City in his stay. Yet unlike the purple chest, this one appeared different. Its light was dim and flat, like a lantern behind thick glass. There was a stillness to it, almost like a sealed door waiting for the right key. No matter how Liu Chen looked at it, the chest gave him the distinct impression that it could not be opened , not yet. It was waiting for something. For a specific moment. For the Three Kings Inheritance to officially unseal.
So that's how it works, Liu Chen thought, his heart beating just a little faster. The high tier boxes tied to major inheritances don't fully manifest until the event itself unfolds. Right now, that colorful chest is nothing more than a promise.
A promise he intended to collect on , when the time came.
He did not allow his expression to change. Beside him, Zuo Rechan was pointing out various landmarks across the mountain range, his young voice carrying a barely concealed pride for his clan's territory. Liu Chen responded with the occasional nod, his outward demeanor the picture of a relaxed traveler.
Internally, he was already moving.
He quietly activated his Remote Retrieval ability. A faint, invisible pull extended from his mind like a silken thread, crossing the short distance to the purple chest. The box made no sound as it vanished from its perch above the crag and settled into the depths of his system inventory.
The colorful chest remained where it was, dim and patient.
Liu Chen exhaled slowly. He had gotten what he could. For now, that was enough.
"Well, I've already seen what I came for. The scenery here is quite pleasing, this trip was worthwhile," Liu Chen said, nodding lightly toward Zuo Rechan.
"Thank you, Brother Zuo, for the tour. I wish you smooth progress in your cultivation. We shall meet again when the time is right."
As the words left his lips, Liu Chen summoned the Thousand Li Earthwolf Spider. The massive creature appeared and sped away like lightning, vanishing instantly into the distant forests.
Riding the spider, Liu Chen quickly left the Zuo family's sphere of influence. Only when the peaks of San Cha Mountain had shrunk to faint silhouettes on the horizon did he allow himself to slow, guiding the spider into the shelter of a dense, nameless ravine far from any clan's territory.
He commanded the spider to dig a small hollow beneath the root system of an ancient tree. Once concealed, he settled cross legged within the earthen chamber, sealed the entrance, and turned his attention inward.
The purple chest was waiting for him.
He opened it.
A deep purple light spilled through his mental space. The system's voice echoed calmly in his mind:
"Reward obtained: Rank 5 Fixed Immortal Travel Gu , Refinement Recipe. A complete formula for the refinement of a one time consumable Rank 5 space path Gu. Upon activation, the user may teleport to any location they can clearly visualize, crossing mountains, rivers, and regional boundaries in a single step."
Liu Chen sat perfectly still for a long moment.
Then, slowly, a smile crept across his face. Not the polite, controlled expression he wore around the Zuo Clan. A real one, rare and unguarded, the kind that only surfaced when fortune exceeded even his careful calculations.
A recipe. Not the Gu itself , a recipe.
He had half expected another Gu worm, perhaps a useful rank three or four insect. What he had received instead was something arguably more valuable. The Fixed Immortal Travel was one of the most legendary movement tools in the mortal world. A Rank 5 version even consumable, even one time could carry a person across the boundaries between the Five Regions in three breaths. No pursuit, no interception, no escape route cut off. Simply there one moment and gone the next, as if the world itself had blinked.
With this in his hands, the ceiling of his future plans had just been raised considerably.
Liu Chen closed his eyes and ran through the implications methodically.
Currently, his movements were fast but not untraceable. The Thousand Li Earthwolf Spider was powerful, but a Rank 5 expert with the right Gu could still give chase. If he ever found himself cornered by a genuine threat a Rank 5 Gu Master, or worse, a Gu Immortal casting a wide net , his options were limited. He could fight, hide, or run. The first two were risky. The third depended entirely on the gap in speed.
With the Fixed Immortal Travel, that equation changed entirely. There would be no chase. There would simply be a decision: stay, or go. And the moment he chose to go, he would already be somewhere else.
More than escape, this Gu opened up a completely different style of movement. Cross-region trips that would normally take months of dangerous travel through wilderness and beast territory could be reduced to a single use of a Gu. The Northern Plains, the Eastern Sea, even Central Continent all of them would become reachable, not merely conceivable destinations.
This changes the timeline, he thought. Considerably.
In his original planning, leaving Qing Mao Mountain for other regions had been a distant prospect something that required building up enough strength to survive the journey itself, not just the destination. Now, that constraint was weakened significantly. If he could refine even one or two of these Gu, the world became dramatically smaller.
But then reality pressed back in, and his smile cooled slightly.
He pulled up the recipe again in his mind and went through the required materials carefully. The Fairy Wind Gu, The Seven Star Gu, Light Of Glory . A shell of a Fixed Wind Turtle at the Thousand Beast King level. Auxiliary binding materials that themselves required significant refinement attainment to handle safely.
He let out a quiet breath through his nose.
None of it was available to him right now. The core materials , the Fairy Wind Gu in particular were rare even in a major Shang Clan City
city, and the Fixed Wind Turtle shell at the required grade was the kind of thing that appeared once in years at an auction, if at all. As for Light Of Glory , he had never even encountered one in person, only read of it in inherited memories.
He could not refine this Gu today. He could not refine it tomorrow. With his current resources, he could not even begin to gather what was needed without first reaching a city of significant scale Shang Clan City at the very minimum and spending a fortune in stones he had not yet accumulated.
Not yet, he reminded himself. But now I know where I'm going.
That was the difference. Before today, the Fixed Immortal Travel had been a vague awareness in the back of his mind something that existed in the world, something that powerful people used. Now it was a concrete destination. A goal with a recipe, a list of ingredients, and a clear path from here to there. It was the difference between seeing a mountain in the distance and holding a map.
He stored the recipe carefully in his mental space and began moving again, guiding the spider out of the ravine and back onto the trail heading south.
He was extremely anxious to reach his destination. According to his calculations, Fang Yuan should have already been reborn and returned to the village by now. The thought of what kind of treasure boxes the legendary protagonist would carry excited him beyond measure.
After an arduous journey of more than half a month, Liu Chen finally returned to the foothills of Qing Mao Mountain. Every blade of grass and tree felt familiar, and the sudden rush of the mountain's atmosphere relieved the tension in his heart.
However, Liu Chen did not reveal himself immediately. He approached the boundary of the Gu Yue territory with extreme caution, well aware that the area was filled with hidden sentries and uncertainties. One careless move could reveal his whereabouts.
Without hesitation, he activated a Rank 4 Aura Concealment Gu he had obtained. The Gu perfectly masked his cultivation aura, making him look like an ordinary mortal to any observer. Immediately after, he urged a Rank 4 Invisibility Gu. The effect was magical; the figures of Liu Chen and the giant Thousand Li Earthwolf Spider completely vanished from the air, as if they had never existed.
Only then did Liu Chen command the spider to move. He looked around, observed the terrain, and decided to dig an underground passage to ensure his movements remained concealed. Under his gentle wave, the spider's sharp feet danced, rapidly excavating a deep tunnel.
Satisfied, Liu Chen urged a Rank 4 Dragonfly Reconnaissance Gu. The insect flew out from the underground cave and sped toward Gu Yue Village like a bolt of silver lightning. Under his control, the dragonfly spy didn't fly directly into the village; instead, it cleverly landed in a small mortal village at the foot of the mountain to begin its surveillance.
This underground cave system was vast, and its resources were far more abundant than those found on the surface. However, as Liu Chen delved deeper into the subterranean world, the level of danger increased daily. True to his cautious nature, he did not dare to venture into the deepest reaches rashly, choosing instead to fortify his current position.
Time flew as winter turned to spring. Within the Gu Yue Village, the atmosphere was thick with the scent of tradition and tension , the annual Awakening Ceremony had finally arrived.
At this pivotal moment, Gu Yue Fang Yuan successfully awakened his aperture and officially became a Gu Master. Unfortunately, just as in the original timeline, his aptitude was tested as a mere C grade. This result undoubtedly disappointed the clan elders, and in the days that followed, Fang Yuan appeared to be a broken youth. He spent his hours drinking heavily to drown his sorrows, frequently seen stumbling through the village or falling into drunken stupors in the wilderness.
Witnessing this through his surveillance, Liu Chen was secretly delighted. He knew his opportunity had come.
During his period of secluded preparation, Liu Chen had not just been practicing; he had meticulously rearranged the Flower Wine Monk's inheritance. He had carefully put back the Gu insects he had previously taken, ensuring the plot remained intact for the protagonist to find. He had even re refined a Liquor Worm and placed it back within the hidden chambers.
Currently, the Wine Sack Flowers within the inheritance cave had withered. This created a dire crisis for the wild Liquor Worms that relied on the flowers for food. Driven by starvation, the Liquor Worm had to make a difficult decision to abandon the inheritance ground and head toward the Gu Yue Village in search of a new source of spirits.
The moment the Liquor Worm left the cave, a Dragonfly Reconnaissance Gu was already suspended high above, its compound eyes monitoring every vibration. It witnessed firsthand the tiny worm embarking on its journey.
The Liquor Worm flew all the way until it reached the outskirts of the village. There, it found a young man lying drunk by the roadside, clutching half a jar of unfinished wine. This was a godsend for the famished worm. Without hesitation, the Liquor Worm burrowed into the wine jar. In the blink of an eye, it drained half the altar's contents. The worm seemed unsatisfied, jumping out and circling in the air for a moment as if savoring the flavor.
However, just as the worm prepared to fly away, the drunk man suddenly opened his eyes. Fang Yuan stood up instantly, his gaze sharp and focused. He followed the Liquor Worm tightly; it turned out his drunken behavior over the past few days had been a calculated performance to lure this specific Gu into the open. Now that his plan had succeeded, there was no longer any need to pretend.
Following the guidance of the Liquor Worm, Fang Yuan finally arrived at the site of the Flower Wine Monk's legacy. The area was shrouded in stillness, and only the withered stalks of the Wine Sack Flowers stood as a testament to its former glory.
Fang Yuan gazed at the rock wall at the end of the cave and noticed a line of carved text: "The White Boar increases divine power; there is a hidden cave here."
The line piqued Fang Yuan's curiosity. Upon closer inspection of the ground beneath the stone wall, he discovered a patch of soil that was distinctly different from its surroundings. "There must be something hidden here," he mused. Without hesitation, he began to dig.
As the soil was turned over inch by inch, an amazing discovery unfolded before his eyes , an Earth Treasury Flower Gu and a small hoard of one hundred Primeval Stones!
"I've finally found you, Flower Wine Monk." There was a smile on his lips as he saw this. "With these, I don't have to worry about my early cultivation resources!"
Everything developed exactly as Liu Chen had anticipated. Through the surveillance of his detection bugs, he watched as Fang Yuan obediently followed the scent of the Liquor Worm, walking step by step into the arranged Flower Wine Monk inheritance. To ensure Fang Yuan achieved the greatest possible improvement, Liu Chen had even left a small stash of Primeval Stones behind, hoping they would accelerate Fang Yuan's growth to a useful level.
However, to avoid alerting Fang Yuan's sharp, five hundred year old instincts, Liu Chen did not use his Dragonfly Gu to monitor him directly within the cave. He only watched from a distance as the boy vanished into the tunnel.
"What a shame. The Wang family is drifting back toward the original track of the plot," Liu Chen sighed secretly. In this world, a lack of power is the original sin. He felt a flicker of pity for Old Man Wang and his children, but they were merely ordinary people in a cruel reality, unable to change their fate and struggling on the edge of life and death.
Since the main plot had returned to its expected course, Liu Chen was in no hurry to confront Fang Yuan. He chose to remain hidden, waiting for the perfect opportunity.
However, his thoughts quickly shifted to a more pressing question: now that Fang Yuan has lost the initial advantage of the inheritance to me, how far will his cultivation reach?
Liu Chen realized his earlier calculations had been slightly skewed. He had already been away from the village for a year and a half, but because of the Three Watches Gu, he had experienced three times the amount of time in practice nearly five years of progress in the span of eighteen months. According to his understanding of the timeline, Fang Yuan still needed another year or so to become a true threat.
Because of the Three Watches Gu, Liu Chen's practice speed had increased several times over, allowing him to return to Qing Mao Mountain far earlier than necessary. He did not feel depressed by this; instead, a new plan began to emerge in his mind.
"I can use this extra time to make a small arrangement," Liu Chen thought, his mouth curling into a sly, cold smile.
He nodded with satisfaction and retracted his Rank 4 Dragonfly Reconnaissance Gu. Although the main plot had not yet fully unfolded, he chose to remain in his complex underground labyrinth beneath the mountain. From time to time, he would release his detection bugs to keep a close eye on every move within the Gu Yue Village, waiting for the leeks to ripen.